Masks have become a necessity but also a burden to the environment. That’s why areusable face mask will do the trick! Learn how to wear and care for it.
In these times we are living, a face mask has almost become a part of our wardrobes – just as we wouldn’t leave the house without a sock, we also wouldn’t leave without a mask. However, the disposable masks have become a problem, with more and more news about disposable masks reaching our already polluted oceans.
Disposable masks pose not only an environmental problem but also a public health one – used and potentially contaminated masks should be treated and disposed of as medical equipment and should never end up in the oceans. Because of that, the planet desperately needs us to use more environmentally friendly alternatives whenever possible.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), health workers, people caring for COVID19 infected relatives outside of health facilities, people over 60 years old, and people in group risks should wear surgical masks – that are, inevitably,disposable.
All others, that is, healthy people who are daily in crowded transport, or areas with no or limited distancing measures,should wear a non-surgical mask, more precisely, a reusable cotton mask.
If you are in the last group, tag along and learn how to wear and care for your reusable cotton mask.
How to put on your fabric face mask
To put on your reusable cotton mask,you only need your thumb and index finger.
1st Step: You should thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for about 40 to 60 seconds, or disinfect them with an alcohol-based sanitizer for 20 to 30 seconds.
2nd Step: With squeaky clean hands, use your thumb and index fingers to open the ear loops and raise the mask to your face.
3rd Step: Place thereusable cotton mask over your nose mouth and chin and use your index and thumb to tuck the elastic ear loops around your ears.
4th Step: Adjust your mask snugly to the nose and chin as needed, by stretching out the pleats.
Ready to use and to protect!
How to take off your fabric face mask
Taking off your mask is just as easy as putting it on.
1st Step: always wash or disinfect your hands.
2nd Step: With your index and thumb, open the ear loops and remove them from your ears – it might be easier if you lean ahead slightly.
3rd Step: After taking your mask and storing it, you should wash your hands once again. Remember, all these steps are just to ensure you touch yourreusable cotton mask as little as possible.
Squeaky clean hands are the word or order!
How many times can you (re)use your face mask
The Green Tailorsreusable face masks are safe to be reused up to 15 times in between washes – always make sure your mask is not dirty or wet. If so, please wash it straight away.
If yourreusable cotton mask is not visibly dirty or wet, you can reuse it. To store it until the next day, place it inside a transparent Ziploc bag, without folding.
According to the WHO,reusable cotton masks can be washed up to five times without losing efficiency. To increase the lifespan of your reusable cotton mask, consider using a filter.
How to wash your fabric face mask
TheGreen TailorsReusable cotton masks are made of 100% cotton, so they are safe to wash in high temperature. Wash yourreusable cotton mask at 60ºC – do not iron or dry clean.
You can wash yourreusable cotton masks together with other items as long as these items can be washed at 60ºC.
Pro tip: towels, bedsheets and other sturdy cotton linens can and should be washed a high temperature. Avoid running a whole wash cycle with just a few items, try to fill your washing machine to its capacity to avoid wasting water, energy, and detergent.
Filter: yes or no?
The Green TailorsReusable cotton masks have a handy inner pocket for a filter. The filter in yourreusable cotton mask should, according to the WHO, be made of a strip of polypropylene fabric. Alternatively, you can buy filter packs that are nowadays sold pretty much anywhere.
Using a filter or filtering layer between the inner and outer layers of yourreusable cotton mask will increase its lifespan. If the recommended social distancing norms are enforced, there should be no need for a filter, but using one will certainly not harm.
Important & Useful Info
- Do not share yourreusable cotton mask with anyone;
- Avoid touching the outside of your mask with your hands. If you do, wash or disinfect your hands;
- Avoid touching the inside of your mask (the inner layer that is in direct contact with your nose and mouth) without disinfecting your hands;
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The inner layer of The Green TailorsReusable cotton masks is white – this is a WHO recommendation so that you can more easily identify if your mask is dirty or wet.
Now that you know all there is to know aboutreusable cotton masks, go choose yours! The Green TailorsReusable cotton masks come in several different colours:Natural White,Happy Orange,Dark Red,Happy Purple,Light Grey,Olive Green, andLight Red. For the little ones, there are stars on aBlue orPink background.
